These two senior living operators found a way to keep the focus on residents all year long by creating calendars featuring artwork by residents or photos of them.
The calendar by Gurwin Jewish ~ Fay J. Lindner Residences assisted living community, Commack, NY, is titled “L’dor v’dor: From Generation to Generation” and features residents, including two U.S. Army Veterans, one of whom liberated the first concentration camp discovered at the close of World War II, a Holocaust survivor, a former vice president of the New York Mets wearing his 1986 World Series ring, two centenarians and eight additional older adults, aged 75 to 105 years.
“We are so thrilled to recognize the vitality and vibrancy of our seniors, who inspire us on a daily basis,” said Staci Rosenberg-Simons, the Residences’ director of community relations. “The portraits are stunning, and the sage words of advice resonate with all who read them.”
The community feted the models and their families with a Dec. 20 red carpet event that included many resident family members. As part of the program, each calendar model was called to the podium, where his or her advice was dispensed to all the attendees before a backdrop of the related calendar page, which was displayed for the first time to the public. Rounding out the event was the presentation of a “Behind the Scenes: The Making of the Gurwin Calendar” video (see below).
This is the sixth calendar featuring the Fay J. Lindner assisted living residents. They are available from the community.
Expressions 2018 is the name of the calendar offered by Tucson, AZ-based Watermark Retirement Communities, now in its 18th edition. It showcases paintings, sculptures, quilts, ceramics and other creations submitted by 36 residents who are amateur and professional artists — 12 featured artists and 24 who were awarded honorable mentions.
“Art is an ageless form of self expression, and we’re thrilled to be able to share the beautiful artwork of 36 of our talented residents in this year’s calendar,” said David Barnes, president and CEO of Watermark Retirement Communities. “Personally, I find their life stories every bit as inspiring as their art.”
Brief biographical information about each artist is included with the artwork on the calendar. Among this year’s featured artists are one who worked on the Manhattan Project, one who taught deaf and blind students for 33 years and another who survived growing up during World War II in Nazi-occupied Germany. Yet another hadn’t touched a paint brush in 10 years before moving to a Watermark community and painted the featured image at age 95.
“These exceptional artists stand out as excellent role models for thriving well beyond retirement age,” Barnes said.
Complimentary copies of the calendar are available at more than 50 Watermark retirement communities coast to coast and are viewable and downloadable here. The October spread is pictured below.
Click here to see the In Focus archive and read how to submit your photos for consideration.
